SunEarth Empire Flat Plate 4 x 8 Collector

• Solar Collectors—or panels—gather energy radiated by the sun and convert it into useful heat in the form of hot water. Collectors work alongside your conventional water heater to ensure year round hot water.

• The Empire Collectors, manufactured by SunEarth, are flat plate type. SunEarth designs and builds solar components that survive the world's most challenging climates and environmental conditions. Empire collectors are manufactured for a thirty-year design life, they require little or no maintenance and are backed by a solid ten year warranty.

Function: 

• Supplies 70-100% water heating needs

Benefits:

• Saves you money - Reduces your monthly utility costs

• Saves the environment - Reduces fossil fuel consumption 

• Adds value to your home - Creates equity in your home

Product Applications:
• Solar Domestic Hot Water Heater System
• Designed for all climates
• Project feasible for handy-person using basic hand tools
• System collectors designed to mount on roof
• Installs on all roof types: shingle, wood shake, metal and title

Product Features:
• Low iron tempered glass
• Low-binder fiberglass insulation
• Rigid foam insulation
• Stainless steel fasteners
• Extruded anodized aluminum casing
• Aluminum backsheet
• Vent plugs
• Copper absorber plate
• Flush Mounting or Tilt Mount hardware.

How It Works:
Flat plate collectors capture solar energy by employing the green house effect. The glass covering permits up to 90% of the visible sunlight to enter the collector. When the light passes through the glass its frequency is changed slightly to a lower energy level. When the light strikes the absorbing surface of the flat plate inside, the light is absorbed as heat. The combination of the glass frequency change and the solar absorbing surface of the plate capture the maximum amount of energy. As the absorber plate heats up it begins to radiate energy as infrared (IR) or heat radiation. Glass is essentially opaque to IR wavelengths so the heat is trapped increasing the temperature. 

Product Specifications:

Technical Specifications:

General:
• Certified by the Solar Rating & Certification Corp.
• Tested in conformance with ASHRAE 93-86 SRCC 100-81
• Glazed liquid flat plate type
• Extruded anodized aluminum casing
• Dark bronze finish
• Notched framewalls for ease of plate removal
• Stainless steel fasteners
• 1" vent plugs on each corner to minimize condensation

Glazing:
• 1/8 inch low iron tempered glass with a minimum transmissivity of 89%
• Thermally isolated from the casing by a continuous EPDM gasket
• Continuous secondary silicone seal between the glass and casing
• capstrip to minimize moisture from entering the casing.

Insulation:
• Foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam sheathing board of a minimum 1 inch
• thickness, siliconed in place to the aluminum backsheet, covered by
• low-binder fiberglass of a minimum 1 inch thickness, providing thermal
• isolation of the foam from the absorber plate.
• Total thermal resistance minimum of R-12.
• Sides and ends of the collector are insulated with a minimum of 1 inch
• foil-faced polyisocyanurate foam sheathing board.

Absorber Plate and Piping:
• Roll-formed copper plate of no less than .008 inch thickness. Risers are
• a minimum of 1/2 inch O.D.
• Type M copper tubing on no more than 4 1/2 inch centers continuously
• soldered to the plate utilizing a non-corrosive solder paste with a
• melting point of 460oF.
• The risers brazed to 1 1/8 inch O. D. Type M (1 5/8 inch O.D. on
• EC/EP40-1.5) copper manifolds utilizing a copper phosphorous brazing
• alloy with no less than 15 percent silver content, and conforming to the
• American Welding Society’s BCuP-5 classification.
• EPDM grommets isolate the manifold from the aluminum casing.
• The absorber plate designed for 160 psig maximum operating pressure.

Absorber Coating and Performance Curve:
• Moderately Selective Black Paint with a minimum absorptivity of 94
• percent and a maximum emissivity of 56 percent.
• The instantaneous efficiency of the collector has a minimum Y-intercept
• of 0.682 and a slope of no less than -0.7995 (BTU/ft2–hr)/F.

Due to SunEarth's policy of continuous product improvement, specifications are subject to change without notice.

Product Manufacturer: SunEarth, Inc.